President Novák: Hungary ready to take part in any peace initiative for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine

Hungary supports and is open to take part in any peace initiative that creates a feasible environment for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine and creates a roadmap towards a sustainable and just peace, President Katalin Novák said in her address to the United Nations’ Security Council in New York on Wednesday.

In her address, delivered by the head of the Hungarian state in the UNSC for the first time in several decades, Novák said that Hungary welcomed the Ukrainian peace initiative and was open to join the process. The personal presence of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, in the UN is also an indication that “the moment has come to be serious about peace”, she said. Novák said she counted on Zelensky “to take action and facilitate the restoration of rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine” as he personally promised at their meeting in Kyiv before and also in New York.

Novák said the war in Ukraine directly threatened Hungary as a neighbouring country, pointing out that Hungarians were also fighting and dying on the battlefield. The war in Ukraine directly threatened the security architecture of Europe, she added.

The Hungarian president urged cooperation in promoting peace and security in Ukraine. “We need organisations, countries and personalities who can invite the warring partners to peace negotiations,” she said, adding that “we acknowledge the United Nations and the UN Security Council as essential actors in this process”.

“We need countries, we need strong nations, for example the United States, China and Turkiye that are capable or ready to set the table for a possible solution, are capable or ready to talk with both sides and have the potential to influence the continuation further,” Novák said.

She underlined the importance of personalities, saying that “I’m convinced that Pope Francis is someone who can facilitate peace in Ukraine”. “Our history gives us so many examples that a small group of people, or even a single person can have an effect or turn the flow of history.”

In her speech, Novák emphasised the role of women leaders in promoting a solution to conflicts. “Women leaders who join their forces to contribute to peacemaking can have a substantial contribution to this process,” the Hungarian president said.

Source: MTI